Ballyhoura Development Annual Report 2025

2025

  • Ballyhoura Development’s ambition is simple and steadfast: to deliver an integrated, community-based service, that helps people and places across north Cork and east Limerick to thrive. Grounded in proven community development practice, we connect local needs with practical supports so that communities become more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

    In 2025, local communities, supported by Ballyhoura Development, demonstrated remarkable leadership and adaptability. They met challenges head on, shared learning, and worked together to deliver practical locally led solutions rooted in people and place. Throughout, the common thread was the power of community led local development: turning ideas into action, and action into impact.

    Looking to 2026, we will stay focused on what works: a place-based approach, strong animation and capacity building, and integrated delivery, to enable inclusive participation, and practical, smart solutions, delivered with robust governance and value for money. With communities, partners, volunteers, staff, and our Board working side by side, we will keep turning shared challenges into shared progress, building a stronger, greener, more welcoming Ballyhoura for everyone.

Our Mission

  • Ballyhoura Development is a Community-Led Local Development Company... 
     
    ...working in partnership, to develop empowered and inclusive communities that inspire and embrace new opportunities, drive positive sustainable social, environmental, and economic change, and reduce inequalities. 

    READ MORE about WHO WE ARE

Chairperson's Statement

In 2025, Ballyhoura Development, your community led local development organisation, managed €5.8 million and delivered practical, integrated supports across north Cork and east Limerick. We did this in an increasingly fragmented policy, funding and operating environment, yet remained firmly anchored to our mission: to build inclusive, sustainable communities and enable a more diverse local economy.

    Our partnership model, working with community groups, volunteers, local authorities, statutory agencies, schools, businesses, social enterprises and a range of partners, seeks to align resources and deliver impact where it matters most. This year, that collaboration was visible everywhere, at community level, Ballyhoura area level and across borders. The breadth of our integrated programme portfolio ensures that people and places can access joined up supports rather than isolated interventions.

    Because our approach is locally led and place based, it connects individuals and groups experiencing exclusion to opportunities that respond to their own priorities. That might be a parent gaining confidence through community learning, a young person taking the next step into training or employment, a volunteer group shaping a local plan, or a community mobilising for climate action. The impact is tangible: stronger networks, practical skills, improved wellbeing, and social, economic and environmental gains that benefit everyone.

    2025 showcased the best of community passion, energy and solidarity. Our communities codesigned and delivered solutions that matter; supporting families through person centred pilots; intergenerational farm succession supports; youth climate action; commemorating the region’s deep heritage connections with Canada; community inclusion and integration, initiatives and practical steps to restore biodiversity through new European collaborations.

    The conversations that shaped the region’s just and green transition in recent years continued to guide action on the ground, confirming that climate action and local development go hand in hand.

    We are proud of a robust track record in managing diverse funding sources and meeting programme targets. The Board’s commitment to good governance, transparency and quality underpins everything we do. This stewardship ensures value for money, protects public trust and most importantly gives local communities confidence that supports will be reliable, responsive and effective.

    Jess Angland
    Chairperson of Ballyhoura Development CLG

Our Governance and Team

Our Team

  • A core strength of Ballyhoura Development is our dedicated, professional team working at the heart of local communities.

    In 2025, we met, and in many areas exceeded, key programme targets through an integrated, place-based delivery model. This approach identified local needs early and responded with coordinated social, economic and environmental supports across programmes, projects and initiatives.

    We will continue to invest in people and place, raising awareness, building knowledge and strengthening local capacity, so that communities are equipped to respond to change and adapt for the future.

    Read More About Our Team

Our Governance and Team

Our Board

  • The voluntary Board of Ballyhoura Development provides clear stewardship, setting policies and priorities, approving strategy, and exercising robust oversight of performance, risk, and compliance. In 2025, the knowledge and experience of Board members were critical in guiding the organisation through a complex policy and funding environment.

    Across ten Board meetings, with an average attendance of 62%, and through extensive subcommittee work, Board members contributed over 451 volunteer hours to strategic decision-making, financial oversight, and programme assurance. This commitment ensured timely, evidence-based decisions and sustained focus on public value and impact.

    The Board’s implementation and monitoring of strong governance frameworks, including clear delegated authorities, documented internal controls, and regular review of risk, finance, and programme performance, helped to maintain public trust and confidence. These practices reinforced Ballyhoura Development’s reputation for quality, transparency, integrity, and accountability in the management of public funds and the delivery of community led local development.

    Read More About Our Board 

Our Governance and Team

Independent Evaluation Committee

  • Members of the Ballyhoura Independent Evaluation Committee met on 8 occasions across 2025 to provide their expertise and experience on a voluntary basis to support the evaluation of 18 project proposals for funding and support.

    This additional layer of scrutiny strengthens transparency, fairness and value for money in the allocation of resources. The Subcommittee attendance was 77.5%.

     

2025 at a Glance

  • €5.8m

    Total Funding Managed

    958

    Community Group Engagements

    8%

    Overall administration overhead %

    In 2025, Ballyhoura Development met or exceeded all of the key performance indicators set by its contracting authorities.

    92%

    Spent on Service Delivery

    10,659

    Individual engagements in education, training, employment & business supports

Our 2025 Programmes

2025 Highlights

Our Activities

  • 958

    Community group engagements

    2,330

    People participated in networking, training, employment and business supports

    129

    People progressed to work

    199

    People progressed to further education and training

    129

    People participated in business, networking, training and mentoring 

    200

    People engaged in Communicating Europe Project

    107

    People participated in community walk abouts

    398

    Communities engaged with Sustainable Energy Communities 

    2,100

    People engaged in Peter Robinson Settlers commemoration activities

    15

    Groups participating in the Growers Project

2025 Highlights

Community, Business, Tourism & Environmental Projects

2025 Highlights

Education and Training

  •  

Our 2025 Case Studies

Read | Listen | Watch

Public Outreach

  • Local, welcoming, and accessible.

    Being in and part of the community is hugely important to us. We deliver supports locally through outreach offices in Kilfinane, Kilmallock, Cappamore, Charleville and Mitchelstown.

    We also meet people where they live through door-to-door calls, community walk abouts, meetings across the area in community venues, online or by phone.

    Our services are easy to access, and this local approach strengthens our connection with each community and helps us listen, learn and act together.

    Contact Our Outreach Offices

Public Outreach

  • Our website, www.ballyhouradevelopment.com, continues to serve as a central communications hub for Ballyhoura Development, providing accessible information on community supports, funding opportunities, training and upskilling programmes, employment services, and wellbeing initiatives.

    Through the consistent sharing of timely and relevant information, we support awareness, build local capacity, and encourage participation across the region.

    In 2025, Ballyhoura Development’s digital reach expanded significantly. Across our website and social media channels, we reached over 915,000 people, with 37,400 active users engaging across our online platforms.

    Sharing information on all community resources & supports, training and upskilling workshops, parenting & mental health supports, funding opportunities and local jobs is critical to raising awareness, building knowledge, improving capacity and increasing participation.

    Media coverage further amplified our visibility, reaching an estimated 33.2 million people, with Ballyhoura mentioned in 774 pieces of news by 189 influencers and journalists across 96 publications, generating an Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) of €866,958.

    Direct communication remained a key strength. Our email newsletters reached an average of approximately 3,300–3,400 recipients per campaign across the year. Engagement remained strong, with open rates ranging from 26% to 55% and click-through rates between 5% and 9%, demonstrating consistent audience interest in Ballyhoura Development’s programmes, events and initiatives.

    Our audience profile continues to reflect strong engagement from women, with 78.7% female and 21.3% male users interacting with our digital content.

Our Sustainability Goals

In 2025, Ballyhoura Development strengthened its leadership on sustainability through its reappointment as one of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Ambassadors. In this role, we championed the relevance of the SDGs to local communities, helping people understand how global goals translate into meaningful local action.

  • Our work across the year continued to advance several priority SDGs, including Affordable & Clean Energy (7), Decent Work & Economic Growth (8), Reduced Inequalities (10), Sustainable Cities & Communities (11), Climate Action (13), and Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions (16). These goals reflect our organisational vision of empowered, inclusive communities supported by a resilient local economy and a greener, more sustainable future.

    Throughout 2025, Ballyhoura Development coordinated a wide range of local, regional, national, and European programmes. These initiatives integrated the three interconnected pillars of community, economic, and environmental development, ensuring that sustainability, equality, and social justice remain at the heart of everything we do.

    Our role in SDG Week 2025 further amplified our impact, with activities across the region helping communities reflect on progress and participate in sustainability initiatives, highlighting how communities can lead and take practical, creative steps toward the 2030 Agenda.

    We continued to expand youth engagement through the YESDGs Erasmus+ project, empowering young people to develop climate action solutions and strengthening their capacity to become future leaders in sustainability and ensuring that the voices of future generations shape the region’s development.

    Throughout 2025, Ballyhoura Development continued to deliver interactive SDG workshops, community information sessions, and training to help local organisations integrate sustainability into their planning and operations.

    Guided by principles of partnership, participation, and a bottom-up approach, Ballyhoura Development remains fully aligned with, and actively advancing, the Sustainable Development Goals across the region.

2025 Financials

  • In 2025, the overall income to support Ballyhoura Development activities increased to €5.8m. from €5.0 in 2025. 

    The improvement is accounted for through an increased diversity of contracts secured across 2025.

    Ballyhoura Development managed the funding and achieved its outcomes, operating on an overall administration and overhead percentage of 8.3%. 
     
    Ballyhoura Development applies the concepts of integrity, accuracy, transparency, reliability, confidentiality and proper disclosure and presentation in all of its operations.

    In managing local, national and EU funding, Ballyhoura Development complies with international best practice in the management of public funding. The accounting administration is based on (i) Recognised accounting principles, which have been translated into clear practical procedures, (ii) Public accountability and (iii) EU and State funding conditions including Commission Regulations. 

     

2025 Financials

Breakdown of Income by Contract Source

  • Ballyhoura Development secures the financial resources required to deliver community led local development through competitive tendering processes and calls for proposals across a broad range of local, regional, national, and EU funding programmes. This diversified funding portfolio enables the organisation to respond effectively to community needs while ensuring compliance with the highest standards of public accountability.

    Programmes, projects and initiatives are designed, developed and delivered by Ballyhoura Development along five Operating Principles. These are (i) strategic and innovative, (ii) integrated and connected, (iii) partnership and collaboration, (iv) resilience and sustainability, and (v) evidence and results.

    These principles guide how we source, manage, deliver, and report on all funding, ensuring coherence, strong governance, and demonstrable outcomes.

    Download the Full Financial Statement

2025 Financials

Breakdown of Programme Delivery Related Expenses

  • Variances in funding amounts may be seen within both the contract source, and specific programme allocations. 
     
    The variances reflect Ballyhoura Development's response to identified community social, environmental and economic needs, the changing policy, funding and operational environment and individual programme funding timeframes and lifecycles, all of which have an impact on, access to, and management of funding programmes. 

    Download the Full Financial Statement

Awards, Accreditation & Certification

Ballyhoura Development operates with integrity and openness, ensuring strong governance and quality services that make a tangible difference for local communities. Guided by community voices and aligned with the priorities of civil society and public policy, our programmes deliver measurable social impact and long-term value. Our commitment is evidenced by full compliance with relevant legislation, regulation, and funder standards, and by continuous improvement in how we plan, deliver, and account for results.

  • SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities

  • EIQA Q Mark for Quality Management Systems

  • Aontas Adult Learning All Star Awards

  • The Charities Regulator Good Governance Code, a Code of Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations in Ireland

  • The All-Ireland Business Foundation All Star Accreditation

Testimonials

  • "As lead partner of iCEAR, IFLS was truly inspired by the energy and commitment we encountered in Ballyhoura. The visit showed how circular economy innovation grows when local actors collaborate, experiment and learn together. Seeing such practical, community-driven solutions in action was incredibly motivating.’’ 

    - Project Lead Partner | iCEAR Interreg Project

  • "I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who make this mountain bike hiking adventure possible! From the planning, the transportation, and even covering the fees made it easy to take the leap. It was a “sweet and sour” experience – challenging and, yes, maybe a bit rough at times, but truly worth every moment. It felt a bit like the Nike slogan: Just Do It. To those like me who may have taken a fall or two along the way, we didn’t quit! Thanks for creating such an unforgettable journey that pushed our limits and left us with lasting memories.’’ 

    - MTB Project Participant | Sanctuary Runners

  • "Just let you know that we received confirmation that the Grant payment was made to us last Monday!! Happy days. Many thanks for all your help with the grant application, your guidance & expertise is very much appreciated.’’ 

    - Community Group Member | LEADER Programme

  • "A friend from Toronto saw this photo on-line yesterday and remarked that “your perfectly tossed (and blessed) wreaths formed the “infinity loop” symbol as they lay on top of the water in the harbour.” Perhaps a sign that what we humans/Irish/Canadians/Americans can achieve together is unlimited, endless, without bound’’ 

    - Peter Robinson Settler | Ireland Canada Homecoming Event

  • "I just wanted to extend a thank you for organising such a great event last night. It was so well put together, and the attention to detail was really evident from the overall room set-up and structure. It was great to see such strong attendance, from the public and suppliers and it was clear that the content resonated well with the audience and that there is a big demand to talk to the various suppliers. There was a very warm welcoming and engaging atmosphere. Please pass on our appreciation to everyone involved.’’ 

    - Funder of Sustainable Energy Communities

  • "My cookery skills have improved and my interest in making good food choices when shopping, this is down to the teacher and group that we were with, it felt like I was getting one to one support.  I would be a lot more confident in my cooking skills and making family meals as a result of this.’

    - Community Food Initiative Participant

  • " I can never thank you enough for all your help it has done wonders for my sons confidence.’’ 

    - Mother of a client supported through SICAP

  • "For me, this documentary is a reminder that supporting one another makes us stronger than any circumstances. And if you have a dream, it is always worth fighting for until the very end.” ’’

    - Communicating Europe Initiative Participant

  • "Many many thanks to you and staff for all the many preparations you made to make all of us feel welcome yesterday.  The ceremony was history in the making.  It was an amazing day and very touching for everyone involved. You gathered us all together...It was a wonderful group from Ireland, Canada and other parts of North America and the exchanges, connections, and reconnections with our relations from 200 years ago we hope will be just the beginning of a new chapter in the Peter Robinson Irish Emigration story.’’ 

    - Chair of Nine Ships 1825, Canada | Peter Robinson Settlers Commemoration

  • "Very interesting, useful and informative A very impressive work, great to see such positivity coming from a negative origin.” Communicating Europe Participant." 

    - Communicating Europe Project Participant

  • "Thank you for being part of a transformative network who are using surplus food in their services, and helping us to promote a less wasteful, more equitable and more circular food system. From all of us at FoodCloud we just want to say a sincere thank you for all Ballyhoura Development do to help achieve a world where no good food goes to waste.’

    - Food Cloud | Ballyhoura Growers Project

  • "I would just like thank you all in Ballyhoura Development for the recent collaborations we have had with you- Fighting Words, Eating Sustainably, Ukrainian Doll making workshop and the upcoming children’s theatre group show. They were all so well organised & promoted, all of the team are so easy to work with, great organisers & always contactable.’’ 

    - Charleville Library | Libraries for Literacy Initiative

  • "We were delighted to welcome Creative Places into our school to work with our primary pupils, and the experience was both inspiring and meaningful for students and staff alike. The workshop was based around art, identity and our local community, with a particular focus on helping children imagine and express what they would like their town of Kilfinane to look like in the future. The pupils were encouraged to think about what young people need in their town, what makes a place feel welcoming, and how art can give voice to those ideas.’’ 

    - Local Primary School | Creative Places Kilfinane Project

What's Next?

  • Ballyhoura Development stands at an important moment of change. For more than 35 years, we have demonstrated the power of community‑led local development, showing what is possible when people, place and partnership are supported through strong animation, engagement and capacity building. This approach has earned trust, strengthened local leadership and delivered real impact across inclusion, enterprise, climate action and digital participation.

    The wider system around us, however, has shifted. National policies, centralised structures and short funding cycles make it increasingly difficult to resource the animation, coordination and capacity building that turn projects into lasting outcomes. The risk is clear: that meaningful community‑led work becomes squeezed into narrow, output‑driven contracts.

    Despite these challenges, we remain resilient and ambitious. We have diversified our funding, evolved how we deliver, and continued to nurture strong relationships with the communities we serve. Our leadership, innovation and practical problem‑solving are recognised. We know what works because we build it with local people and that remains our greatest strength.

    As we look ahead, our purpose remains unchanged. Ballyhoura Development exists to spark possibility, bring people together, and transform local knowledge and ambition into shared wellbeing and opportunity. With committed partners and a funding model that supports integrated, place‑based work, we can protect what makes our approach unique and deepen our impact into the future. Through our ongoing Strategic Review, the Board will ensure our governance, structures and integrated delivery model remain fit for purpose in a competitive and rapidly changing environment.

    Thank you to our communities, partners, volunteers, staff and Board. Your commitment and everyday leadership make progress possible. In the year ahead, we will work together to secure the policies, resources and collaborative practice needed to future‑proof community led development in the place we proudly call Ballyhoura.